Makassar/Sulawesi to Surabaya/Java
Anna's entry:
We have returned to Makassar after our snorkeling adventure down South, in Bira and Pantai Timur. We settled in the same hotel and same room, with AC and TV (a real treat after the rustic stay) for 10USD , and we headed back for the famous Makassar treat - Es Teller Yess Makassar - for around .70 cents. It is a sweet dish made with ice, coconut, papaya, tapioca, sweet milk, roasted sweet peanuts, and other variations you could imagine (such as grass jelly)... And, in the evening, we treated ourselves to a delicious freshly prepared fish, deep fried in a batter with garlic, chilies, and all kinds of side condiments (no exotic fish, no rare fish, this is my requirement for any seafood restaurant) - both of us ate for around 5 USD, a similar meal in the U.S. would be around 40-50 USD. And, we also prepared for our departure to Java. We exercised every option to avoid the flight, but ultimately had to do it (the seas were too rough, and Pelni ferries were as always over-sold by hundreds of passengers contributing to already unsafe status). We left Makassar around 5 a.m. to allow enough time for the airport and to avoid getting reaped off by taxi drivers - no public bus option for Makassar airport - toll roads and freeways only; did someone say Indonesia was poor? We got a reasonable taxi quote, and arrived with plenty of time for our flight. By the way, almost no security at Makassar airport.
We landed in Surabaya a couple of hours later. Excellent public transport, by the way, from the airport to the city center. We settled in an old colonial villa hotel, for around 10 USD a night (including basic breakfast, and unlimited hot tea throughout the day).
Surabaya was a practical stop for us. We had to decide how to plan additional time traveling in SE Asia, and instead of initially planned two days, we ended up staying for about a week. We also met our New Year here - treated ourselves to a cute restaurant, among other things ordering Chicken Gordon Bleu and Avocado-Chocolate drink. The meal was the whole 7 USD for both - I know, it was a splurge, we usually eat for half of that, but it was the New Year's after all. :)
Surabaya, especially after Kalimantan and Sulawesi islands, was too big, too polluted, and traffic was absolutely insane. Traffic lights and cross walks are disregarded by motorists, and crossing a busy street was like playing with your own life. And, traffic is constant, almost 24 hours a day. Again, did someone say Indonesia was poor?
The 1st of January was the most peaceful day for us in Surabaya. We walked across town to a peaceful Buddhist temple called Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong, where I put candles for our parents - 11 years of death anniversary of my mom, and 10 of Rob's dad. Afterwards, we walked to the Arab part of town, with a market and famous Masjid (Muslim temple). Afterwards, we went to a small restaurant for a peaceful meal and picked up a few treats on the way. As always, Muslim part of town means no reap offs, and warm welcome.
Eventually, we packed up backpacks, and headed out for a train from Surabaya to Malang. The train was over-crowded, but we managed to get our own seats, plus the ride was pretty cheap, less than .50 cents for 2.5 hour journey...
We have returned to Makassar after our snorkeling adventure down South, in Bira and Pantai Timur. We settled in the same hotel and same room, with AC and TV (a real treat after the rustic stay) for 10USD , and we headed back for the famous Makassar treat - Es Teller Yess Makassar - for around .70 cents. It is a sweet dish made with ice, coconut, papaya, tapioca, sweet milk, roasted sweet peanuts, and other variations you could imagine (such as grass jelly)... And, in the evening, we treated ourselves to a delicious freshly prepared fish, deep fried in a batter with garlic, chilies, and all kinds of side condiments (no exotic fish, no rare fish, this is my requirement for any seafood restaurant) - both of us ate for around 5 USD, a similar meal in the U.S. would be around 40-50 USD. And, we also prepared for our departure to Java. We exercised every option to avoid the flight, but ultimately had to do it (the seas were too rough, and Pelni ferries were as always over-sold by hundreds of passengers contributing to already unsafe status). We left Makassar around 5 a.m. to allow enough time for the airport and to avoid getting reaped off by taxi drivers - no public bus option for Makassar airport - toll roads and freeways only; did someone say Indonesia was poor? We got a reasonable taxi quote, and arrived with plenty of time for our flight. By the way, almost no security at Makassar airport.
We landed in Surabaya a couple of hours later. Excellent public transport, by the way, from the airport to the city center. We settled in an old colonial villa hotel, for around 10 USD a night (including basic breakfast, and unlimited hot tea throughout the day).
Surabaya was a practical stop for us. We had to decide how to plan additional time traveling in SE Asia, and instead of initially planned two days, we ended up staying for about a week. We also met our New Year here - treated ourselves to a cute restaurant, among other things ordering Chicken Gordon Bleu and Avocado-Chocolate drink. The meal was the whole 7 USD for both - I know, it was a splurge, we usually eat for half of that, but it was the New Year's after all. :)
Surabaya, especially after Kalimantan and Sulawesi islands, was too big, too polluted, and traffic was absolutely insane. Traffic lights and cross walks are disregarded by motorists, and crossing a busy street was like playing with your own life. And, traffic is constant, almost 24 hours a day. Again, did someone say Indonesia was poor?
The 1st of January was the most peaceful day for us in Surabaya. We walked across town to a peaceful Buddhist temple called Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong, where I put candles for our parents - 11 years of death anniversary of my mom, and 10 of Rob's dad. Afterwards, we walked to the Arab part of town, with a market and famous Masjid (Muslim temple). Afterwards, we went to a small restaurant for a peaceful meal and picked up a few treats on the way. As always, Muslim part of town means no reap offs, and warm welcome.
Eventually, we packed up backpacks, and headed out for a train from Surabaya to Malang. The train was over-crowded, but we managed to get our own seats, plus the ride was pretty cheap, less than .50 cents for 2.5 hour journey...
posted by Rob and Anna @ 7:06 AM
1 Comments:
My friend and I were recently talking about how technology has become so integrated in our day to day lives. Reading this post makes me think back to that discussion we had, and just how inseparable from electronics we have all become.
I don't mean this in a bad way, of course! Ethical concerns aside... I just hope that as memory gets cheaper, the possibility of uploading our memories onto a digital medium becomes a true reality. It's a fantasy that I dream about almost every day.
(Posted on Nintendo DS running [url=http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978023679]R4[/url] DS scPost)
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